


Chase the meteors (and watch their flowers scatter behind you)

by Aethelia



Category: iKON (Korea Band)
Genre: M/M, Some Fluff, crazy rich asians au, junhwe is a little dumb sometimes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-01-24 08:33:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18567703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aethelia/pseuds/Aethelia
Summary: Donghyuk is ready to travel to Korea with Junhwe and not only attend one of the grandest weddings of the century, but also meet Junhwe's traditional and conservative parents. Will he make it alive, or will his love crush under pressure?Based on "Crazy Rich Asians"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off Crazy Rich Asians! Title was taken from the OST "Yellow" :
> 
> I want to know how far meteors can fly/ if their beauty is worth searching for/ the flowers of the night sky scatter behind you/ I've been happy for a long time/ it's worth me waiting/ so my heart races from dusk to early dawn, unable to bear it anymore

“Hey babe,” Junhwe says as he slides into the booth across from his boyfriend. Donghyuk looks up from his phone and smiles back.

“I ordered for you already, got your favorite.”

Junhwe leans forward and kisses Donghyuk’s forehead in thanks before settling back down.

“I have a question for you,” Junhwe says, placing his hands on the table, and hearing the serious tone in his voice, Donghyuk places his phone down and cocks his head to the side.

“I’m listening.”

“What do you think about taking a trip together?”

Donghyuk frowns. They’ve talked about this before, he knows, but with them still saving up for an apartment in New York, it wasn’t very feasible.

“Junhwe…”

“No, no, hear me out. You know my best friend, Jinhwan? He’s getting married in summer.” Donghyuk knows Jinhwan, he’s flown over to New York to visit before, and at first glance Donghyuk had assumed they were lovers or something – although he guesses being blood-related partners in crime since diapers were a thing works too.

“Okay…but Jinhwan-hyung lives in Korea. Round-trip tickets would cost over a thousand dollars, and that’s not even covering the cost of board.”

“About that,” Junhwe looks a little sheepish.

Donghyuk groans. “What did you do?”

_What did he not do?_ Junhwe basically had the entire thing planned out – he only needed Donghyuk’s passport to book the tickets and his consent, and Donghyuk has always been a little softhearted when it came to Junhwe and his plans.

Midnight drives down to the beach just outside of Baltimore with a picnic basket in the backseat? Road trip to New York on a Friday before exams? Going to IHOP for pancakes at exactly six in the morning? Walking the Brooklyn Bridge as the sun rose with them? Looking at the stars on the Empire State Building at midnight celebrating Junhwe getting a job at Columbia? Sitting in the orchestra for _the “_ Phantom of the Opera” on Broadway, just because he was accepted as the new kindergarten teacher at Trinity? They’ve done it all, and Donghyuk has to say – he does not regret meeting Junhwe at all.

 

He never thought he’d stop at the UniMini at 3am, his drunken ass hungry for French fries, and run into the most gorgeous man waiting in line for mozzarella sticks. 

Donghyuk was with Yunhyeong and Chanwoo, the three giggling over their dance rehearsal videos while waiting for their food, until Chanwoo realized with a shout that they hadn’t even ordered at all. Donghyuk bowled over, laughing so hard over nonsense and scolding his friends in mixed English and Korean until he heard a deep voice asking him if he was okay, in _Korean._  
  
Now Donghyuk was a sophomore, and he was proud to say he was already a very active member of the Korean American Student Association at the Johns Hopkins University, and he was even part of the elective board; in fact, they were just coming from a KASA house party. But this gorgeous being? A Korean? Donghyuk thought he would have met all the Koreans on campus for sure. 

“Korean?” Donghyuk asked in his native tongue, eyes squinting against the bright light.

“Mmhmm.” The man answered, before handing him a box of fresh, steamy French fries. Yunhyeong cried out in joy, grabbing the box before the monster twins started stuffing their faces with food.

“You’re not part of KASA.” Donghyuk accused, as if it was some sin for a Korean to not be part of the best, holiest, organization on campus. Fuck all the other cultural organizations, especially CSA. The Chinese Student Association could suck his dick. But that was a story for another time. No, right now they were discussing why this Korean man wasn’t part of his friend circle, because Donghyuk would love to see him around more.

Junhwe laughed. “No I’m not. I was too busy being pre-med.”

Donghyuk scrunched up his nose. But even while drunk, he was proud to say his ears were still incredible. “You _were_ too busy?”

Junhwe shrugged. “I’m…considering dropping. Haven’t told the folks yet, of course.”

“Ah.” Donghyuk nodded wisely. That was a hard burden to overcome. He had spent many nights lying in bed wondering if he was the most terrible son on earth if he abandoned biomedical engineering and became a teacher instead. And not a professor either, no, Donghyuk wanted to work with kids. He loved them. And it wasn’t even his fault; his mother had forced him to work at the summer camp he used to attend, and how was he supposed to know it’d ignite his love of teaching children?

“Let me tell you,” Donghyuk paused, as he struggled to remember what the man’s name was. He tilts his head to the side. “What was your name again?”

“Junhwe. Koo Junhwe. And I don’t believe I know yours…?”

“Donghyuk. Kim Donghyuk. Anyways,” he said, pointing his finger at Junhwe, “let me tell you, Junhwe. It’s always best to rip the Band-Aid off quickly. I’d know, I think I let my mom down twice.” He frowned, and blaming the alcohol for his increasing sentimentality, swirled around and found…nothing. He blinked once, to get rid of the tears, and then twice, to make sure he saw things right. Where the fuck was Yunhyeong and Chanwoo? Did they seriously run off? With his French fries? Fucking lovers always leaving him behind so they can bone each other and –

“Ah, your friends disappeared.” Junhwe noted, _very unhelpfully_.

“They took my French fries too,” Donghyuk said with a pout, not noticing how glossy his lips were after he licked them.

“I’ll buy you more,” Junhwe said, eyes hooded as he stared at the cute guy in front of him.

Donghyuk sighed. “I really shouldn’t be eating this late at night anyways.” He stared regretfully at the counter, his stomach grumbling sadly at him.

Junhwe chuckled. “You can have some of my mozzarella sticks, if you’d like.”  
  
Donghyuk stared at him, stars and galaxies filling his pupils. Was this man a god or something? Was he in love or something? He was in total awe.

“Can I _please?_ ” He was already leaning forward, eager to take a bite, and Junhwe nodded.

“Sure,” he said in that heavenly voice of his, and he reached forward with his bag, and Donghyuk took a bite, using his finger to break the string of cheese as he closed his eyes and sighed at how delicious it was. “UniMini really can’t go wrong at three, can it?”

“It can’t. I’m completely sober too,” Junhwe chuckled, linking his gaze directly with Donghyuk’s as he bit right from where Donghyuk’s mouth just was.

Donghyuk thought his mouth might have dropped open. He couldn’t help but blush, his mind going haywire. _Stop it,_ he screamed to himself, _your inner gay is coming out!_

Seeing that Donghyuk was in shock and mistaking that shock for his words, Junhwe laughed. “Surely it’s not that surprising?”

Donghyuk snapped out of it. “No, yeah – sorry, I should be going to bed.” And then he took a breath, because he was about to shoot his shot, and this could go terribly wrong, but it could also go terribly right, and yeah, maybe he was drunk, but he could swear that Junhwe was also giving him bedroom eyes, and he hated having to third-wheel Yunhyeong and Chanwoo all the time, and maybe he was just a little lonely and here was a man who, for the first time, he wanted to get to know and maybe date and marry – even if it was too soon – so yeah, maybe he should stop rambling and start talking and see where it goes, and –

“Listen, I’m kinda drunk, but you’re kinda cute, and I kinda want to date you – I mean, assuming you’re also homo, but even if you’re not, that’s fine and we can totally be friends – but my point is, I’d like to see you again? If that’s okay?” He did it mom, for the first time in his life, he actually asked someone out instead of just swiping people on dating apps and never talking to them ever again.

Junhwe laughed loudly, a blush growing on his face. He reached forward and brushed Donghyuk’s face out of his eyes. “I’d be down, actually.” 

They officially started dating mid-fall of sophomore year, and Donghyuk learned enough of Junhwe to determine that Junhwe wasn’t really a god as he’d imagined, but more of a cute, clumsy husky; he was fine with that, he _loved_ huskies.

And what did they all say? The rest was history.

 

But now, “you want me to meet your family?” Donghyuk asks, a little breathless, because this was a big step. Sure, Junhwe has met his mom and sister before, having spent Thanksgiving of junior year with them in Los Angeles. They toured around USC with Esther, and Donghyuk dragged Junhwe into the Trader Joe’s in the USC Village, claiming that it was a must try for someone who had never been. Sure, sure, there was one _somewhere_ in Baltimore, but they didn’t really have the time to go too far for grocery stores unless it was for Hmart. (Donghyuk was right, Trader Joe’s mango & cream bars _were_ to die for.)

But his family was different. Los Angeles had turned his mom into a pretty chillaxed mother, to be honest, chillaxed enough she'd only threatened to disown him once before making him soondubu jjigae and wrapped him up in a tight hug when he came out to her. Junhwe’s parents were more conservative. More traditionally Korean. To be fair, Junhwe's parents had not done much threatening when he came out to them, only doing their best to keep him in Seoul, even sending him out on numerous blind dates the week before orientation, as if that was enough to keep him at home. "I'm sure they saw America as the land that'd make me even gayer, as if that was possible."

Despite that, Donghyuk has heard enough of the conversations when Junhwe was telling his parents that he was going from medicine to _English_ of all things, and he distinctively remembered seeing Junhwe break down, with his head on his thighs, snot and tears staining his jeans. 

To be honest, Donghyuk was a little terrified. He’s not sure what to expect. If Junhwe's parents could make Junhwe cry over changing life paths, surely they would mind that Junhwe was dating a Kindergarten teacher?

“They’re going to love you,” Junhwe tells him, hands clasped with his.

“If you’re sure,” Donghyuk says, uncertainly. 

“You can even meet up with Bobby again; he’s back in Korea, isn’t he?”

Donghyuk sighs, because it does seem like the universe wants him back on the other side of the world. “He has been bothering me lately to go and visit…”

“I’ve got everything pretty much planned everything, you don’t need to worry about it, okay?”

Donghyuk nods, and tells himself to trust his man, and he grins back at Junhwe, because to be a little honest, he’s pretty excited to go back to Korea again.

“I gotta head back to campus,” Junhwe says, taking a huge gulp of his water before calling the waiter for the bill. “I’ll get takeout tonight? Netflix and chill?”

Donghyuk grins, because how did he miraculously meet this man _while drunk_? “You know me so well.” He reaches forward and grabs Junhwe’s hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of his hand. Yeah, he could do this for the man he loves.

Bring it on, Korea.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kinda a filler chapter...introducing some new characters and learning more about Junhwe!

It was purely a coincidence that Nayeon was sitting in the same diner as Junhwe and Donghyuk with her girlfriends, enjoying a quick taste of Manhattan before they head back to Parsons for their morning classes. They usually didn’t stray too far from Parsons, but Dahyun had felt a little adventurous, even teasing Momo by calling her boring for always wanting the Wagyu at Tocqueville’s. Nayeon had stopped the girls before they got into a full out fight, instead bringing them to Friedman’s for breakfast.

“Really? An American diner?” Momo had asked, with her eyebrows raised, but as always, Nayeon had the best gut feelings. If she hadn’t chosen Friedman’s, they would never have see _the_ Koo Junhwe up close.

“Who’s that with him?” Dahyun asks, taking notice of their linked hands before gasping. “No way, you don’t think…a boyfriend?”

The other girls gasp too, Nayeon quickly picking up her phone and snapping a quick picture.

“I gotta tell Jennie about this. Oh ladies, this is some fine tea I got for us today.”

“I wonder what they’re talking about?” Momo asks, tapping her chin curiously.

“Only one way to find out,” Dahyun grins at the girls before standing up. She wasn’t proud to say it, but her family didn’t have connections with the Koo family anyway, so there was no way Junhwe would be suspicious of her hanging around their table.

“You know Jinhwan-hyung would love to see you again, Donghyukie,” Junhwe says as he dipped his fries in the jalepeño crema before holding it out for Donghyuk to take a bite.

Dahyun almost gives herself away, eyes going wide before hiding her open mouth behind her hands. No way, Junhwe was bringing this boy to Korea? For the grandest wedding of the century? This was _huge_.

“I guess,” Donghyuk said as he munched on the fry, his cheeks scrunching up like a hamster. Junhwe looks at him adoringly, before leaning forward to pinch his cheeks.

“Aish, let me eat in peace,” Donghyuk pulls away and pouts, biting into his own sandwich. Dahyun couldn’t stand looking at the two any longer, so she hurries back to her booth, news practically spilling from her mouth.

The news spread within hours.

“Rosie, Rosie!” Jennie stalks toward Chaeyoung, who was busy getting into her zen mode as she did her usual nighttime pilates exercise on her yoga mat.

“Not now, Jen,” Chaeyoung says, opening her eyes and sparing Jennie a glance before closing her eyes and exhaling deeply.

“You _have_ to hear about this.” Jennie says, undeterred by Chaeyoung’s dismissal. Instead, she smooths her Chanel pink silk pajama dress and sits on the floor next to Chaeyoung, her legs tucked underneath her.

Chaeyoung sighs and lowers herself to the mat, pulling out her airpods before facing Jennie. “ _What.”_

“You’ll never guess who Nayeon saw today in New York.” Jennie says, casual and chic now that she had Chaeyoung’s attention.

“New York? I give up.” Chaeyoung is about ready for bed; she really doesn’t have time for guessing games.

“ _Junhwe_ , Rosie. And Junhwe was with someone else.” Jennie leaned in, her eyes sparkling. “Here’s the real kicker –“

“He’s dating? Good for him.” Everyone in their circle knows she had a brief high school thing with Junhwe, and Junhwe always brushed it off, calling it a façade for the mothers. She had gone along with it, not telling anyone how she had cried in her room for days when Junhwe had finally pulled her behind the stadium one day, saying, “Enough is enough, isn’t it? I’m going to talk to my parents. Let’s try to live freely, yeah?”

It’s a memory that still weighs on her heavily; him going abroad since university helped, but her heart couldn’t help but skip a beat at the thought that he’d already moved on – not when she has spent the past years going on blind dates and comparing each of them to him. Isn’t that pathetic? He wasn’t even a good boyfriend. They dated only in label; they never went on dates other than the family dinners, never held hands, never did anything, and yet she held on to the things he did do. Walked with her to class? Talked to her occasionally as they mused about the future? What was even so good about him that she fell so deeply in love? She wasn’t sure. Even now, she still holds hope that someday they’ll be _encouraged_ to date again, and this time, she’ll be able to capture his heart. But he’s dating. It doesn’t have to mean much, Chaeyoung reminds herself, people date all the time, and it doesn’t mean anything.

“But Rosie, Junhwe’s bringing him to the wedding.” This gets Chaeyoung’s attention for two reasons. This completely changes things.

“Him?” Chaeyoung glances up, shock barely concealed in her eyes.

“Yeah, who would have thought? I thought Hanbin and Jinhwan were going to be the only ones. I wonder if the Koos know yet. Could make for a good summer drama.” Jennie flips her braid behind her and crosses her legs in front of her. “You still keep in touch with him?”

Chaeyoung shakes her head. “Stopped after uni.” If what they did could even count as “keeping in touch.” It consisted mostly of polite Christmas greetings and obligatory, “are you coming back to Korea? Cool, we should hang out sometime! Oops, maybe next time.” Until at a certain point one of them stopped. He barely used instagram too, but she’s never seen a special someone in his posts.

“If Junhwe’s bringing him back for the wedding though,” Chaeyoung starts, “then surely his parents know about him?”

Jennie shrugs, tapping away at her phone. “I’m sure the news have spread by now.”

That’s why at one in the morning, Lady Koo sits on her bed awake in her silk robe, still as she waits for her son to pick up the phone.

“Mother – you usually don’t call me this late,” Junhwe greets as he walks back to Columbia.

“I heard you were bringing him – still him? to Jinhwan’s wedding,” Lady Koo cuts straight to the chase. She didn’t have time for nonsense.

Junhwe sighs. He only mentioned the idea to Donghyuk like maybe half an hour ago? – Should he be surprised that his mother has spies everywhere?

“I am.” He answers, curt and on the defense.

“Well, who is he?”

“Mother.”

“Don’t mother me, I should know. Is this that boy?”

“Stop calling him ‘that boy’ mom, I told you his name when we started dating. His name is Kim Donghyuk. And mother – I love him,” Junhwe says, resigned.

“I haven’t even said anything, dear. We didn’t pry when you first told us you were dating _years_ ago; we let you do your thing. But now that you’re bringing him home, this means it’s something serious. We should know more.”

Junhwe sighs again.

“All this sighing! What are you, a heathen?” Lady Koo scolds him, arms crossed over her chest.

“Sorry mom,” Junhwe catches himself before he sighs again. “Since you know, I was wondering if we could stay at grandma’s for a few nights?”

“Junhwe,” there’s a warning in his mother’s voice, and Junhwe knows. He understands. “Just because your father and I are okay with your…sexuality, it doesn’t mean your grandmother will be the same.”

“She approved of Jinhwan hyung, didn’t she? Besides, grandma can just think that it’s my friend staying with me in my old room.”

“Hanbin is also of our class. Junhwe,” and this time Junhwe thinks he’s about to catch his mother sigh. “You do not know what you are doing.”

“You’ve been telling me that since I switched to English mom, and I’m doing great. Who else do you know who has a son teaching at Columbia at just twenty-four?”

“And we’re proud of you,” Lady Koo says, “but you know you have to deal with your grandmother carefully.”

“So…?”

“…Ask her yourself.” It’s a win for him, Junhwe knows.

He grins and blesses his mother’s heart. “Love you, mom. Go to bed.”

There’s a light spring in his step. Donghyuk has always been alright with him not showing him off to his family, but Junhwe has always felt a little guilty about it. He loves Mrs. Kim and Esther, and he’d love for nothing more than to introduce Donghyuk to his family too, but he knows his parents are a little tough to deal with. It’s all different now. Junhwe knows it; it’s going to be the beginning of the next step for them.

***

Donghyuk practically bounced in his seat as they take a taxi to JFK.

“I’m so excited, Junhwe.” Junhwe grinned as his boyfriend, reaching over to pinch his cheeks.

“I can’t wait to take you around Jeju,” he said, interlacing his fingers with Donghyuk’s.

“It’s been a while since I was last in Korea,” Donghyuk sighed, leaning back into the headrest. “I honestly can’t wait to eat.”

The taxi pulled up in front of the outside counter for Korean Asiana Air, and Donghyuk raised his eyebrows at the sight of a counter lady waiting for the car to stop, ready to open the door for them.

“Good morning Mr. Koo, we are ready to check you in, and have tickets to the lounge for you,” The lady bowed and said, and Donghyuk looked on confused.

“Since when did they start doing such amazing customer service?” He whispered to Junhwe as the attendants took their suitcases in and the couple followed inside.

“Since always?” Junhwe replied, cocking his head as he looks down at Donghyuk.

“I guess that’s what I get for never flying KAA,” Donghyuk said, shaking his head.

Donghyuk has never flown with Junhwe before. They’ve travelled in the States domestically, but they’ve never gone on an international trip together before. Back when Donghyuk still went back to Korea with his family, they always did cheap flights – Donghyuk thinks his mind was blown with how amazing Junhwe’s making the trip already.

First of all, checking in was a breeze. Going through security was a breeze. Now they’re in the KAA lounge where Donghyuk’s getting a foot massage while Junhwe’s getting him udon and fried chicken. Donghyuk wishes he knew how Junhwe was getting all of these for free. When he had asked, as they were escorted into a private room for the massage, Junhwe had only shrugged and grinned before leaving to get food.

“Here, your highness,” Junhwe does a light bow as he brings a tray of food to Donghyuk, who giggles.

“Ahh, my knight in shining armor.”

“Save that for when we meet my family,” Junhwe grins before he kisses Donghyuk’s forehead. “Finish up and we’ll head to the gate.”

“What about you?” Donghyuk asks, with a mouthful of chicken, trying to chew quickly before swallowing. “Aren’t you going to get something?”

“I ate,” Junhwe admits, “I snuck in a few bites of your food.”

By the time they went to the gate, they were halfway through boarding already. Donghyuk bounced up and down in line, heart palpitating with the thought of finally, _finally!_ meeting Junhwe’s family.

To his surprise, instead of following everyone to the right to economy, Junhwe directed them to first class.

“Welcome aboard, Mr. Koo,” the flight attendant bowed before leading them to their seat, a very nice and _extremely_ luxurious small cabin with another door next to their seats.

“Junhwe,” Donghyuk whispered, “we _can’t_ afford all of this.” Sure, he knew Junhwe was an international kid, and international students…were typically a lot wealthier, but even this was insane. There was a bar outside of the cabin, and even their seats were so soft Donghyuk could just sink right in.

Junhwe shrugged before giving him a sheepish grin. “My family has some business with the airline. Plane tickets are just a perk.”

“Business? Like…what?”

“Oh, you know, this and that.”

Donghyuk quiets down, his brain whirring to process all this information. “So…” he speaks up carefully, “your family isn’t, just rich, but you’re like, rich rich?”

Junhwe laughs out loud, leaning over to help Donghyuk buckle his seatbelt. “We’re comfortable,” he says, leaving a peck on Donghyuk’s jaw.

Donghyuk swirls around and points his finger. “That’s exactly what a super rich person would say.”

Junhwe sits back and sips his champagne. He raises his eyebrows, inviting Donghyuk to go on.

“It’s just,” Donghyuk heaves a sigh. “I’ve known you for so long, dated you for so long, it’s just a little weird not knowing? Like, you use my Netflix! And you get takeout half the times, and you play basketball at the smelly Y…”

Junhwe leans forwards and kisses Donghyuk softly before he pulls back and pecks his lips a few times. “It’s their money, you know that, right? I’m out here in New York working with you. That’s what’s really mine.”

“I guess.” Donghyuk sits back as the announcement for takeoff comes.

“Wait until we’re in the air. I have a surprise for you,” Junhwe wiggles his eyebrows and grins.

It’s definitely a surprise. As soon as the light for seatbelts go off, Junhwe’s on his feet and grabbing Donghyuk out of his seat. He opens that door by his seat and leads Donghyuk into a smaller room with a whole freaking queen-sized bed in the middle.

“No way,” Donghyuk breathes out, “no freaking way.”

“Perks of Korean Asiana Air babe.” Junhwe lies down on the bed and pats the space next to him. “We’ve got at least fourteen hours to go. Wanna join the mile high club?”

**Author's Note:**

> Come chat w/ me on twitter! https://twitter.com/aethelia_ii


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